2008 Woodie Awards
Take a sip of the holidays
Kate Grigsby
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Expressions
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The holiday season is just around the corner, bringing Christmas carols, garland-hung streets and tasty seasonal foods. For some people, this time of year means presents, distant relatives and good food, but for all of the caffeine-crazed coffee lovers, it means the return of holiday drinks that they have long-awaited for 10 months.
"Some people get really excited (during the holidays) because they have their favorite drinks that they love, but are only available two or three months of the year," Kristen Williams, UAB student and Starbucks employee, said.
Starbucks is only one of the coffee shops in the area that offers drinks infused with flavors that somehow feel like the holidays.
On a college budget, it's important to know where to get the most bang for your buck when you're looking for a good drink and what you can expect when you order one of the many available holiday favorites.
I taste-tested a few recommended drinks from popular local coffee shops so you can know where to find the holiday drink that suits you best.
Starbucks Gingerbread Latte (16 oz.)
Taste: This latte is warm and spicy and has a special kick to it because of the nutmeg sprinkled on top. Surprisingly, it really tastes like gingerbread!
Appearance: Starbucks found some way to standardize the appearance of every one of their drinks so that each one looks as tasty as the last. Whipped cream and nutmeg tops this drink off perfectly.
Price: $4.05 for a grande size.
Overall Grade: B
Conclusion: This drink is pretty good, but for $4.05, you better be in love with the taste of gingerbread.
O'Henry's Coffee Pumpkin Spice Latte (16 oz.)
Taste: Just like mom's pumpkin pie. Amazingly, this latte tastes just as its name suggests and is without question the best compared to all of its pumpkin contenders.
Appearance: Special pumpkin whipped cream and cinnamon on top of this drink make it stand out above the rest. "I'm surprised that it tastes as good as it looks," junior biology major Taylor Stroud said.
"Some people get really excited (during the holidays) because they have their favorite drinks that they love, but are only available two or three months of the year," Kristen Williams, UAB student and Starbucks employee, said.
Starbucks is only one of the coffee shops in the area that offers drinks infused with flavors that somehow feel like the holidays.
On a college budget, it's important to know where to get the most bang for your buck when you're looking for a good drink and what you can expect when you order one of the many available holiday favorites.
I taste-tested a few recommended drinks from popular local coffee shops so you can know where to find the holiday drink that suits you best.
Starbucks Gingerbread Latte (16 oz.)
Taste: This latte is warm and spicy and has a special kick to it because of the nutmeg sprinkled on top. Surprisingly, it really tastes like gingerbread!
Appearance: Starbucks found some way to standardize the appearance of every one of their drinks so that each one looks as tasty as the last. Whipped cream and nutmeg tops this drink off perfectly.
Price: $4.05 for a grande size.
Overall Grade: B
Conclusion: This drink is pretty good, but for $4.05, you better be in love with the taste of gingerbread.
O'Henry's Coffee Pumpkin Spice Latte (16 oz.)
Taste: Just like mom's pumpkin pie. Amazingly, this latte tastes just as its name suggests and is without question the best compared to all of its pumpkin contenders.
Appearance: Special pumpkin whipped cream and cinnamon on top of this drink make it stand out above the rest. "I'm surprised that it tastes as good as it looks," junior biology major Taylor Stroud said.